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WTAE-TV
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| WTAE-TV | |
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| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | |
| Branding | Channel 4 |
| Slogan | Where YOU Come First |
| Channels | Analog: 4 (VHF) Digital: 51 (UHF) |
| Affiliations | ABC, The AccuWeather Channel on DT2 |
| Owner | Hearst-Argyle Television |
| Founded | September 14, 1958 |
| Call letters meaning | No actual meaning |
| Former affiliations | None |
| Website | www.thepittsburghchannel.com |
WTAE-TV, "Channel 4" is the ABC affiliate serving the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wheeling/Steubenville and Clarksburg/Weston market areas. Its transmitter is located in Buena Vista, Pennsylvania.
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Channel 4, originally allocated to Irwin, Pennsylvania (in Westmoreland County), was moved to Pittsburgh in the mid 1950s. This reportedly came because Pittsburgh mayor David L. Lawrence had petitioned the FCC relentlessly for a fourth VHF channel in the area. It is short-spaced to other channel 4 stations in Columbus, Ohio (WCMH-TV, which is NBC) and Buffalo, New York (WIVB-TV, which is CBS), with the tower located southeast of the city as a result.
WTAE-TV signed on the air on September 14, 1958 as Pittsburgh's ABC affiliate. From the beginning, it has been owned by the Hearst Corporation, which purchased the station's former sister radio station, WCAE/WTAE Radio, in 1931. (The radio station is now WEAE, and is owned by ABC/Disney as part of the ESPN Radio network.) WTAE has the distinction of being the only TV station affiliated with a major network in Pittsburgh to have not changed hands in ownership. (It should be noted, however, that WPXI hasn't changed hands since 1981, WPGH-TV hasn't changed hands since 1990, and KDKA-TV only changed hands through various corporate mergers out of the station's control.) The station itself is now ran by Hearst's television unit Hearst-Argyle Television, of which it serves as one of the three flagship stations for the unit, alongside WBAL-TV in Baltimore and WCVB-TV in Boston.
In the early years, Channel 4 was best known in the market for its locally-originated entertainment programming, most notably the after-school childrens' shows: Paul Shannon's Adventure Time (featuring The Three Stooges), Hank Stohl's Popeye 'n' Knish (Knish being a puppet; a floppy mop with a light-bulb for a "nose"), and Ricki and Copper (Copper being an Irish Setter). Much like its NBC affiliate rival, WIIC-TV, Channel 4 was not a major player in terms of news coverage in those early years, as the Pittsburgh market was dominated by KDKA-TV and anchor Bill Burns. That changed, however, in 1969, when longtime KDKA radio-and-TV newscaster Paul Long was brought in, along with his KDKA meteorologist-sidekick Joe DeNardo. From then on the market was competitive, and Long would continue to be Channel 4's lead news presence well into the 1980s before easing into a more "senior" role.
In June 1992, the station expanded its news production, adding a Saturday morning newscast from 8 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. (matching WPXI's Saturday morning newscast of the same length which began in 1990) and a three-hour Sunday morning newscast. The station also extended its weekday early evening newscast to begin at 5 P.M., and began to air a weekday morning newscast from 5 to 7 A.M. In 1997, the station expanded its Sunday morning newscast by an hour and began to air its Saturday morning newscast from 6 to 10 A.M. Today, WTAE offers four-and-a-half hours of live news each day.
At various times, WTAE has also served as the ABC affiliate for the Johnstown/Altoona, Wheeling, West Virginia, and Clarksburg/Weston, West Virginia television markets (all of which could receive WTAE as a grade B signal). With WTAE having long been one of ABC's strongest affiliates, both parties reportedly resisted efforts by other TV stations in those cities to obtain a full-time ABC affiliation, although one was eventually granted to Altoona's WOPC-38 (now WATM-23), while at the same time the other outlets in those market did add ABC as a secondary. WTAE is still available on cable in Johnstown, Altoona, and throughout northern West Virginia today. In addition to those areas, WTAE can also be seen on several out-of-market cable systems throughout northwestern and central Pennsylvania.
In 1986, WTAE partnered with the Salvation Army and started Project Bundle Up, an opperation to make sure that children and seniors get warm clothing. WTAE has run the Project Bundle Up Auction which is an auction where local businesses donate products to be auctioned off, and the Project Bundle Up Telethon a traditional telethon where viewers call in to donate money, businesses donate money and all of the procedes from the auction and telethon benefit the Salvation Army. In 2007, WTAE moved the auction to the internet.
Although it was the only ABC affiliate in the region when it signed on at the time, WTAE also preempted and/or delayed a handful of ABC programs, most notably its daytime lineup from the 1960s to the late 1990s (one show in particular, "One Life To Live," which they passed on until 1978). Today, WTAE runs nearly the entire ABC schedule. The station cut back its Saturday morning newscast to three hours, but it still runs a news-intensive schedule, alongside its top-rated syndicated first-run talk shows.
WTAE was also one of many ABC stations that pre-empted the special showing of Saving Private Ryan late in 2004 due to scares that the Federal Communications Commission would impose a fine on them if they had aired the World War II movie due to the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy earlier that year. It was later determined that the movie showing was not a violation of FCC regulations.
WTAE unveiled a new set designed by FX Group during the 5 P.M. newscast on Tuesday, September 4, 2007.
- Channel 4 Action Sports Sunday (Sundays at 11:30 P.M. - 12:00 A.M.)
- sports talk show hosted by Jon Burton or Guy Junker
- jennifer (Sundays at 11:00 - 11:30 A.M. ) - talk show
- Steelers Primetime - extended Steelers coverage during NFL season
- Project Bundle-up Telethon, seasonal partnership with Salvation Army
- Adventure Time
- AM Pittsburgh
- Bowling For Dollars
- Capelli & Co.
- Championship Bowling
- Community Outreach
- Community Perspective (later retitled Shalom Pittsburgh)
- The Bill Cowher Show
- Dialing for Dollars
- Faith and Today's World
- The Hank Stohl Show
- The Jean Connelly Show
- The Johnny Majors Show
- Junior High Quiz, sponsored by local bank Pittsburgh National (now PNC Bank)
- Pittsburgh's Talking
- Project Bundle-Up Auction, moved to internet
- Ricki & Copper
- Romper Room
- Shock Theatre
- Tri-State Farmer
Pittsburgh is a competitive market for local news, with the news station ratings often differing by one tenth of a ratings point.
As of November 2007, WTAE has the highest audience for the newscasts at 5 and 6 A.M. [1]
- Wendy Bell - 5 and 11 P.M.
- Mike Clark - 6 and 11 P.M.
- Kelly Frey - anchor, weekday mornings; general assignment reporter
- Janelle Hall - anchor, weekend mornings; general assignment reporter
- Shannon Perrine - anchor, weekend evenings; general assignment reporter
- Jake Ploeger - anchor weekend evenings; general assignment reporter
- Andrew Stockey - weekday mornings
- Sally Wiggin - noon and 6 P.M.
- Michelle Wright - noon and 5 P.M.
- Stephen Cropper - (AMS certified) 5, 6 and 11 P.M.
- Demetrius Ivory - weekday mornings
- Erin Kienzle - (AMS/NWA) weekend evenings
- Don Schwenneker - (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist) noon and 5:30 P.M. (leaving for CBS station WBBM in Chicago December 31, 2007) [2]
- Jon Burton
- Guy Junker
- Bill Hillgrove (Steelers Reporter)
- Marilyn Brooks (medical editor)
- Marcie Cipriani
- Ashley DiParlo ("Plugged In")
- Becky Emmers (web reporter, host of Links 'n@ with DiParlo)
- Tara Edwards
- Jon Greiner
- Ari Hait
- Sheldon Ingram
- Bob Mayo
- Jennifer Miele (Westmoreland County Bureau Chief)
- Jim Parsons ("Team 4 Investigations")
- Aaron Saykin ("Call 4 Action")
- Melanie Taylor ("Traffic Watch 4")
- Paul Van Osdol ("Team 4 Investigations")
- Christina Arangio (1997-2000) (weekend morning anchor/reporter)
- Timyka Artist (2004-2006) (reporter), now at WPXI in Pittsburgh
- Scott Baker (1993-2006) (anchor)
- Melinda Basara (1995-1998) (Westmoreland County reporter)
- Jan Bohna () (children's television show host, Romper Room (died in 2005)
- Mike Brookins - meteorologist (2000-2005)
- Susan Brozek (1988-1994) (reporter), now a Senior Producer in Local Programming & Talk Show host at WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh
- Cathy Caldwell (2005) (traffic reporter)
- Don Cannon (1969-1994), now a weekend anchor/reporter at KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh
- Tonia Caruso (1997-2001) (reporter), now serves as Comcast reporter and WQED-TV OnQ contributor
- Nan Chapman ( ) (weather)
- Al "Jazzbeaux" Collins (1970-71), (hosted Jazzbeauxz' Rehearsal, an eclectic talk and music program, 11:30PM Saturdays)
- Ed Conway (1969-1974) (sports)
- Dave Crantz(1968-70), (longtime station promotions director, hosted Charlie Chan Theatre, 11:30PM Saturdays)
- Myron Cope ( ) (sports)
- Faith Daniels ( ) (reporter)
- Rod Daniels ( -1984) (weekend anchor), now at WBAL in Baltimore
- Susan Davies (1986-1995) (meteorologist)
- Joe DeNardo (1969-2004) (chief meteorologist) (retired)
- Beth Dolinar (1986-1994) (weekend anchor/reporter)
- Bob Drews (1958-1962) (portrayed Sir Rodger, host of Shock Theatre, which played late-night monster movies on WTAE)
- Whitney Drolen (2002-2004) (reporter)
- Jennifer Emert (1998-?) breaking news/ helicopter reporter
- Stu Emry (1980-1988) (reporter)
- Ellen Gamble (1998-2004) (traffic reporter)
- Vince Gerasole ( ) (reporter)
- Chris Glorioso (2001-2004) (reporter)
- Bill Hillgrove (1978-1994) (sports)
- Lynn Hinds ( ) (AM Pittsburgh Host)
- Sheila Hyland (1988-1998) (weekend anchor/reporter)
- Baron James (1995-1999) (weekend anchor/reporter)
- Alan Jennings (1989-1997) (reporter)
- Mark Johnson (sports anchor) (1995-1996) (sports)
- Meghan Jones (2001-2006) ("Call 4 Action" reporter)
- Susan Koeppen (2000-2004) ("Call 4 Action" reporter/weekend morning anchor), currently serves as CBS' The Early Show consumer reporter
- Ted Koppy (1999-2002) (weekend anchor/reporter)
- Brandon Lenoir (2006) (reporter)
- Paul Long (1969-1994) (anchor) (Died in 2002)
- Adam Lynch (1980-1994) (anchor)
- Jack Martin (1992-1996) (weekend morning anchor/reporter)
- Jerry Martz (1997-2005) (meteorologist)
- Al McDowell ( ) (AM Pittsburgh Host) (Died in 1994)
- Sam Merrill (1999-2002) (anchor/reporter) (returned to WNEM-TV in Michigan)
- Liz Miles (1990-1999) (reporter, previously worked at KDKA-TV)
- Cathy Milton ( ) (AM Pittsburgh Host/anchor/reporter)
- Angie Moreschi (1992-1995) (anchor/reporter)
- Joe Negri ( ) (co-host/musician)
- Alby Oxenreiter (1988-1996) (sports), now a sports anchor/reporter at WPXI
- Andy Pearson (1995-1998) (anchor)
- Nina Pineda reporter (1996-2000;now at WABC-TV in New York)
- Tom Randles (1986-1990) (weekend anchor/reporter), now at (WSMV-TV in Nashville, TN)
- Rod Rassman ( ) (reporter)
- Gina Redmond ( ) (reporter/weekend morning anchor)
- Ken Rice (1988-1994), now an anchor at KDKA-TV
- Gus Rosendale(2005-2007), departing for New York market
- Shiba Russell (2002-2006) (weekend anchor/reporter), now at WCVB-TV
- Emily Ryan (2001-2004) (reporter)
- Stan Savran (1980-1991) (sports)
- Eleanor Schano (c.1960) (weather forecaster)
- Mike Schneider (1977-1982) (reporter/anchor)
- Jim Scott ( ) (anchor/reporter)
- Melanie Shafer (1996-2000) (anchor/reporter)
- Paul Shannon (1959-1975) (host of Adventure Time)
- Kristine Sorensen (1998-2001), currently an anchor at KDKA-TV
- John Steigerwald (1978-1985), currently a Steelers analyst at KDKA-TV
- Hank Stohl(early '60s) (puppeter-comic, hosted after-school Popeye 'n' Knish program, also The Saturday Night Instead of the Movie Show)
- Mike Stone (1998-2000) (meteorologist)
- Ricki Wertz (1958-1982) (children's television show host)
- T.J. Winick (1998-2000) (Westmoreland County reporter)
- Shawn Yancy (1996-2001) (weekend anchor/reporter)
- Steve Zabriskie ( -1978) (sports)
- Yvonne Zanos (1986-1997), now serves as the consumer editor at KDKA-TV
- Tony Zarella (1990-1994) (sports)
- In 1958, Shock Theatre premiered late at night on WTAE. The show was locally produced and hosted by Bob Drews who portrayed Sir Rodger (often misspelled as Sir Roger). Drews was a former Pittsburgh radio disc jockey who also wrote a satire magazine called Thimk. Shock Theatre featured monster movies such as The Invisible Man and Frankenstein. Drews interspersed comedic live-action skits within the movie and also was famous for his haircut, the Sir Rodger Clip. Little is known of what became of Drews after the show left the air in the early 1960's.
- In 1972, WTAE sportscaster Myron Cope coined the phrase "The Immaculate Reception" to describe Franco Harris' miraculous, running shoestring catch that gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a 13-7 playoff victory over the Oakland Raiders.
- WTAE's distinct channel 4 logo has been in use since 1973.
- WTAE and its channel 4 logo was immortalized in the 1979 basketball comedy film The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, whose fictional sportscaster "Murray Sports" (Played by Harry Shearer) was also patterned after Cope.
- On April 24, 1980, WTAE personality Nick Perry, who hosted Bowling for Dollars and also called the lottery drawings for the Pennsylvania Lottery, fixed the PA Lottery's Daily Number so that the drawing could come up as "666". Perry would eventually serve jail time, and the drawings were moved from WTAE to WHP-TV in Harrisburg a year later. This resulted in lotteries now being audited and monitored with "witnesses" from the government and/or accounting firms hired by them, and also inspired the movie Lucky Numbers. In addition, KDKA now airs the PA Lottery drawings in the Pittsburgh market instead of WTAE.
 The first WTAE-TV ident from 1958 |
 WTAE-TV ident from the 1980s |
- ^ TV News Ratings: November 2007. post-gazette.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
- ^ Don Schwenneker leaving WTAE-TV. post-gazette.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
- ThePittsburghChannel.com - WTAE Homepage
- Project Bundle Up Auction
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WTAE-TV
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KDKA 2 (CBS) - WTAE 4 (ABC, The AccuWeather Channel on DT2) - WPXI 11 (NBC) - WQED 13 (PBS) - WQEX 16 (ShopNBC) - WPCW 19 (The CW) - WPMY 22 (MNTV) - WNPB 24 (PBS/WVPB) - WIIC 29 (NOYZ) - WBYD 35 (Ind) - WGPT 36 (PBS/MPT) - WPCB 40 (CSTV) - WLLS 49 (A1) - WPGH 53 (Fox) - WBGN 59 (Ind) - W63AU 63 (Ind) - WPTG 69 (Ind) Local cable television channels |
| See also Broadcast television in the Erie, Johnstown, Wheeling, Clarksburg and Youngstown markets |
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WTRF 7 (CBS) - WTOV 9 (NBC) - WJPW-CA 18 / WVTX-CA 28 (Ind/WBGN) - WSSS-LP 29 (MTV2) - W41AA 41 (PBS/WVPB) - WWVW-LP 56 (JTV) Significantly Viewed Out-of-Market Broadcast Stations Reception may vary by geographical location Pittsburgh: KDKA 2 (CBS) - WTAE 4 (ABC) - WPXI 11 (NBC) - WQED 13 (PBS) - WPMY 22 (MNTV) - WPGH 53 (Fox) |
| See also: Broadcast television stations in the Cleveland, Columbus, Parkersburg and Zanesville markets |
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WDTV 5 (CBS/ABC, AccuWeather Channel on DT2) - WBOY 12 (NBC) - WNPB 24 (PBS/WVPB) - WVFX 46 (FOX) (The CW on DT2) |
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Local television stations Significantly Viewed Out-of-Market Broadcast Stations |
| See also Broadcast television in the Susquehanna Valley and Pittsburgh markets |
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WTAE 4 (Pittsburgh) - WPVI 6 (Philadelphia) - WNEP 16 (Scranton) - WATM 23 (Altoona) - WJET 24 (Erie) - WHTM 27 (Harrisburg) |
| See also: CBS, CW, Fox, MyNetworkTV, NBC, PBS, and Other stations in Pennsylvania |
Categories: Television stations in Pittsburgh | Television stations in Wheeling / Steubenville | Television stations in Clarksburg / Morgantown / Weston | Television stations in Johnstown/Altoona | Television stations in Pennsylvania | ABC network affiliates | Television channels and stations established in 1958 | Channel 4 TV stations in the United States